Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-07
ROGER LAROQUE.
Adapted and Translated from the French
Of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.

$4,000
"How was this discoveredP asked she, in
the same strange voice, which seemed to her
not to be her own, but some mechanical con-
trivance that spoke for her.
"Dy Laroque, after all these years"
Sand he has brought them to Justice, these
two guilty ones"
'Not yet, but he will in a few days"
"This-this woman; does he think her
guilyT.
TINT she gave him the money. He knows
nothing of her relations with Luversan nor
the vengeance, which do. The letter which
found in my fathers pocket was proof"
"The letterp
"Yes, the anonymous letter. which re-
yealed"--
"Whati whatF'
ooh, a mere nothing. 1t only said that the
woman who gave Laroque the money, who
Ind been a faithless wife, an unworthy
mother, was-was- Oh, cannot say itr'
"Who, who, Raymond You see / cannot
understand. My poor head is SO confused
Did know heri Was she a friend OF ours
OF Luciensf'
HThe woman was you, Julia De Noirvillo,
my mother. You'll"
II hear you. But what a singular history
What a romance Yes, n romance. u 1t
were not so terrible, 1 could laugh. l do
laugh, hal hal You hear me longh, Ray
mond.n
$50 you deny III"
SWhy not, since il Is not truel This is a
calumny, Raymond, an infamous calumny;
md you believe it, against your mother. fou
come here and make scene instead OF COM
ing TO show me this ridiculous affair that we
might both laugh over it. Do you know l
am almost vexed with you, you naughty
boyf'
RAYMOND was 50 ashamed for her that he
hid his iace.
"And you say nothing, instead Of asking
my pardon. You are a wicked and migrate
full son, for you have nothing to reproach me
with. / have been tender and good to you
and have always loved you with four fold
affection, even so much that scarcely had
any left for your brother"
$50 you still denyP
"Unhappy child Why should deny sucn
an atrocious accusationf l even ought not
listen to you, but cannot let you believe SO
horrible thing"
Raymond took the accusing letter from his
pocket and gave it to her. She tried to read
it Then he said coldly:
Shave you read itln
aOh, my poor boy, /, your motherp Then
she continued wildly: 81 must tell you.
There Is no word OF that true. 1t was a
mans vengeance, not a woman's Thai
man tried TO make me love him.
"Whoi Laroquef'
s'Eo, the other, Luversan."
''You lust pretended not TO know himr
al lied, did know him; he avowed his
love; he was violent, brutal, capable of any
thing, and was afraid of him, but repulsed
him and he kept his word and revenged him
SELF as you can SEQ, since your father died
believing me guilty"
@Falsehoodsl Falsehoodsl Do you think
my father would have believed so base an
accusation, an anonymous one, too, had he
not had other reasonsi No, he remembered
and he was convinced and died without hay
ing been able to curse you."
aRaymondl what wild imagination ha
taken possession Of you'll Return to you
motherl You are frightful, with your hor
rid stories"
aMother, father had written things which
show me that he had suspected"
ait is falsel tell you, falsel How you
slnnder in accusing your mother. Do you
think Of that, Raymondp
"And that is not all, mother Do you re
member the day / showed you a photograph
on the back Of which were tho dates of Roger
Iaroque's arrest and condemnation, ant
also the dag of Larouette's murder and th'
hourl You told me then a story which
might have accounted for all that, but tina
! discovered beyond doubt that that wa
Roger LAroque's photograph. oh, you wer'
well revenged You pierced the photograph
even as you pierced the originals heart
She knew now she was lost She had ever
no strength left to frsme new lies, and sh'
abandoned herself and throw herself upon
the floor, where she writhed in sobs and gasp
ing groans, but no tears came to relieve her
She crawled to his knees, and gasped; an.
son, my son, do not curse me. Pardon me
Yon are on tho threshold OF life and know
nothing Of It's passions. avow you were no
deceived. You know the truth, but obi d.
not curse me for it 1t would be horribl
from you, whom I have so loved. Oh, Ray
1nond, my son, see how l supplicate you.
have repented so bitterly. II / could haT
undone the past but l am only woman
and could not deliver myself up to justice
ON account of my children. One must nc
demand of mothers more than they can dc
As soon as the crime was done would wi
llngly have died, but loved you so web thu
hushed my conscience and hoped that /
an austere and devoted mothers hfo migl
lay my pardon. But chastisement has owe
taken me, and alas, by the hand Of my dea
est child.
"What would you have me dot" she col
nnued Raymond, soon--very soon--I sha
be no longer with you, for l feel my deaf
approaching"
aAnd ! only wish to die" said Raymon
aAnd your marriagep
allow can you speak OF IL nowl How Ct
the daughter of Roger the Shameful ma
with the son OF her who condemned him
that unmerited sbameP
HAnother victim; another ones life ups
my conscience. Oh, God, how manyl /
rouette, Henriette, Lucien, Suzanne; RogC
too, for he will die of grief for his child
cried she, wringing her hands, ....-
add my name, too, mother, for witho
her have no life es..r ..l
"oh, Raymond, kin mel Crush me II
some venemous reptile. XIII me, kill mop
-, -